{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T12:57:57Z","timestamp":1793278677346,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]],"date-time":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748476800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Commission of Women (NCW), Delhi, India","award":["Sanction Letter No. \u2013 F. No. 16(86)\/2019-20)\/NCW"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Sanction Letter No. \u2013 F. No. 16(86)\/2019-20)\/NCW"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Health Psychol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Indian Society is pro-natalist, often placing the social burden of infertility on women. This paper aims to bring forth how 30 women seeking infertility treatment at a public hospital in Delhi cope with the condition. Using purposive sampling, in-depth interviews were conducted with the women. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed seven themes: Infertility and resilience: Hope and determination; Infertility as destiny: Attribution to God and karma; Constructing alternative identities through work; Coping through recreation and spirituality; Rationalising infertility: Self-consolation; Revisiting motherhood: Kinship foster care and adoption and; Marital discord and considerations of divorce. Apart from medical treatment, the healthcare system should provide psychological support to patients diagnosed with infertility. This can be facilitated by peer group interactions where women coping effectively with infertility can share strategies that help them manage their own emotions. The sense of sorority among the women can enhance emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/13591053251342535","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]],"date-time":"2025-05-30T02:16:50Z","timestamp":1748571410000},"page":"753-766","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The self as a resource: A qualitative study of women coping with infertility in north India"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9756-853X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ravin","family":"Srivastava","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2114-6079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Apoorva","family":"Sharma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kallur Nava","family":"Saraswathy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manju","family":"Puri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lady Hardinge Medical College, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nandita","family":"Babu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2757-3162","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chakraverti","family":"Mahajan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Delhi, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.36108\/NJSA\/1202.91.0140"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1359105318785697"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_1","unstructured":"Ahoya N (2021) Not (yet) a mother\u2013Dealing with involuntary childlessness in Kenya. ZANTHRO-Zurich Anthropology Working Papers (12)."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_1","unstructured":"Aseffa F (2011) Socio-cultural perceptions of infertility and their implications: A study of women experiencing childlessness in South Gondar Ethiopia. Master\u2019s Thesis. Bergensis Universitas."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/09715215241262134"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00895055"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J398v02n04_04"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Infertility, womanhood and motherhood in contemporary Indonesia","volume":"28","author":"Bennett LR","year":"2012","unstructured":"Bennett LR (2012) Infertility, womanhood and motherhood in contemporary Indonesia. Intersections, Maret 28: 1\u201312.","journal-title":"Intersections, Maret"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01459740.2017.1416609"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2023.116310"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.178.3.281"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1556-6676.2001.tb01991.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01494929.2012.762445"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13691058.2020.1833366"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-018-0596-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3149\/jmh.0201.31"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1179\/jpt.2012.22.1.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_20_1","unstructured":"Fieldsend M (2019) Facing and dealing with the challenge of involuntary childlessness: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. PhD thesis. University of London UK."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_21_1","first-page":"103","article-title":"Thematic analysis: the \u2018good\u2019, the \u2018bad\u2019 and the \u2018ugly\u2019","volume":"11","author":"Finlay L","year":"2021","unstructured":"Finlay L (2021) Thematic analysis: the \u2018good\u2019, the \u2018bad\u2019 and the \u2018ugly\u2019. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy 11: 103\u2013116.","journal-title":"European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_23_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Biennial review of anthropology","author":"Geertz C","year":"1961","unstructured":"Geertz C (1961) Studies in peasant life: Community and society. In: Siegel BJ (ed) Biennial review of anthropology. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, pp. 1\u201341."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_24_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion","author":"Geertz C","year":"1966","unstructured":"Geertz C (1966) Religion as a cultural system. In: Banton M (ed.) Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion. London: Tavistock, pp.1\u201346."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_25_1","unstructured":"Glazier SD (ed) (1997) Anthropology of religion: A handbook. Westport CT: Greenwood Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_26_1","volume-title":"Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity","author":"Goffman E","year":"1963","unstructured":"Goffman E (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01612840050110317"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0277-9536(97)00102-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/01674820309074691"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_2_30_1","first-page":"60","article-title":"Infertility, psychological distress, and coping strategies among women in Mali, West Africa: A mixed-methods study","volume":"22","author":"Hess RF","year":"2018","unstructured":"Hess RF, Ross R, GilillandJr JL (2018) Infertility, psychological distress, and coping strategies among women in Mali, West Africa: A mixed-methods study. African Journal of Reproductive Health 22(1): 60\u201372.","journal-title":"African Journal of Reproductive Health"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10943-019-00884-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13691050701656789"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_33_1","volume-title":"Infertility and Patriarchy","author":"Inhorn MC","year":"1996","unstructured":"Inhorn MC (1996) Infertility and Patriarchy. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1097184X02238525"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/12347-000"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0280054"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_2_37_1","first-page":"151","article-title":"Effectiveness of a therapeutic counseling intervention for depression, anxiety, self esteem and marital adjustment among infertile women","volume":"4","author":"Kharde SN","year":"2012","unstructured":"Kharde SN, Pattad S, Bhogale GS (2012) Effectiveness of a therapeutic counseling intervention for depression, anxiety, self esteem and marital adjustment among infertile women. International Journal of Nursing Education 4(2): 151\u2013154.","journal-title":"International Journal of Nursing Education"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1559-1816.2001.tb00175.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0447.1985.tb02642.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/del327"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/16.8.1762"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_42_1","first-page":"139","article-title":"Early childbearing and kin connectivity in rural South Africa","volume":"44","author":"Madhavan S","year":"2010","unstructured":"Madhavan S, Gross M (2010) Early childbearing and kin connectivity in rural South Africa. International Journal of Sociology of the Family 44: 139\u2013157.","journal-title":"International Journal of Sociology of the Family"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_43_1","first-page":"292","volume-title":"Anthropology of Health and Wellbeing: Essays in Honour of Professor P.C. Joshi","author":"Mahajan C","year":"2021","unstructured":"Mahajan C, Sharma A, Puri M, et al. (2021) Psychological health and wellbeing among infertile women: A hospital-based case-control study from North India. In: Sachdeva MP (ed) Anthropology of Health and Wellbeing: Essays in Honour of Professor P.C. Joshi. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, pp.292\u2013305."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s41649-020-00161-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_45_1","volume-title":"Religion and Culture: An Introduction to Anthropology of Religion","author":"Malefijt AW","year":"1968","unstructured":"Malefijt AW (1968) Religion and Culture: An Introduction to Anthropology of Religion. London: Collier-Macmillan."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/det403"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Mikaeili N Salvat H Ebadi M (2022) Fitting the causal model of marital relationship distress based on the stigma of infertility: The mediating role of relational aggression in infertile women. Epub ahead of print 3 February 2022. DOI: 10.21203\/rs.3.rs-1241720\/v1","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-1241720\/v1"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02646830802350880"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/maq.12094"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02646838.2014.915391"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_51_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S273149"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_3_2_52_1","first-page":"49","article-title":"Convergence of private and public patriarchy: Challenges of safe spaces and places for women claimants of inheritance in Punjab, Pakistan","volume":"7","author":"Rubab I","year":"2023","unstructured":"Rubab I, Rahat R, Yunus A (2023) Convergence of private and public patriarchy: Challenges of safe spaces and places for women claimants of inheritance in Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Social Sciences Review 7(3): 49\u201360.","journal-title":"Pakistan Social Sciences Review"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_53_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17441692.2015.1107117"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_54_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cd.239"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_55_1","unstructured":"Smith JA (1987) The meaning of marriage to the voluntarily childless couple. PhD thesis. Andrews University USA."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0021932022000347"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2277436X211073849"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wsif.2024.103018"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1023278230797"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-85702-8_8"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0959353500010003003"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_2_62_1","first-page":"40","article-title":"Adjustment, coping and defense mechanisms\u2013deciding factors in the therapeutic process","volume":"43","author":"Venner M","year":"1988","unstructured":"Venner M (1988) Adjustment, coping and defense mechanisms\u2013deciding factors in the therapeutic process. Zeitschrift fur die Gesamte Innere Medizin und Ihre Grenzgebiete 43(2): 40\u201343.","journal-title":"Zeitschrift fur die Gesamte Innere Medizin und Ihre Grenzgebiete"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cca.2020.05.039"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_64_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.19082\/4694"}],"container-title":["Journal of Health Psychology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/13591053251342535","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/13591053251342535","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/13591053251342535","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T08:32:42Z","timestamp":1777451562000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/13591053251342535"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]]},"references-count":63,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/13591053251342535"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/13591053251342535","relation":{},"ISSN":["1359-1053","1461-7277"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1359-1053","type":"print"},{"value":"1461-7277","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]]}}}